Our Shard End lawyer has uncovered a difference when comparing the information in the valuation report and what is revealed within the legal papers for the property. My lawyer says that he is obliged to check that the lender is OK with this discrepancy and is still content to lend. Is my lawyer’s course or action correct?

Your solicitor must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements which do require that your lawyer disclose any incorrect assumptions in the lender’s valuation report and the legal papers. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.

I am helping my mother sell her property in Shard End. Will the solicitor arrange an EPC or do I organise this?

After the abolition of Home Information Packs, EPC’s became a required part of moving property. An energy performance certificate should be commissioned prior to the property being advertised. This is not something that solicitors ordinarily organise. If you are using a Shard End conveyancing solicitor they may help arrange energy performance certificates due to their relationships with long established Shard End assessors

We are due to move house in December. Does my conveyancing solicitor liaise with the removal company on the day of completion. Incidentally, can you suggest a removal company in Shard End. Conveyancing firm was organised before I stumbled across your website.

On the day of completion you can collect the keys from the estate agent but this can only be done once the vendors lawyers confirm to the agent that the monies to complete are in and the keys can be collected. You should tell the removal men that you are ready to move in. We are not in a position to recommend a specific removal company but can help you locate a conveyancing in Shard End or a lawyer with expertise in conveyancing in Shard End.

I have paid off my mortgage with Coventry BS. I assume I don't need a Shard End property lawyer on the Coventry BS panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?

If you have finished paying off your Coventry BS mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Coventry BS mortgage from the register. Coventry BS, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where Coventry BS has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Coventry BS has instructed the Land Registry to do so

I am downsizing from our property in Shard End and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a risk of it being constructed land that was not decontaminated. A high street Shard End lawyer would know that there is no such problem. It does beg the question why the buyers are using a web based conveyancing practice rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Shard End. Having lived in Shard End for six years we know that this is a non issue. Do we contact our local Authority to obtain confirmation that there is no issue.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing firm already. Are they able to advise? You must check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same sickness)

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I have offered on a fortnight ago in what should have been a straight forward, chain free conveyancing. Shard End is the location of the property. Can you shed any light on this issue?

Flying freeholds in Shard End are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Shard End you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds thoroughly. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Shard End may ascertain that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.

My husband and I are first time buyers - agreed a price, yet the estate agent told us that the owners will only move forward if we use the agent's preferred lawyers as they are insisting on an ‘expedited deal’. My instinct tells me that we should use a local conveyancer who is accustomed to conveyancing in Shard End

We suspect that the seller is unaware of this demand. If they want ‘a quick sale', turning down a genuine purchaser is counter productive. Speak to the owners direct and make sure they understand (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are ready to go, with finances arranged © you do not need to sell (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)however you are going to appoint your preferred Shard End conveyancing firm - not the ones that will earn their estate agent a introducer fee or meet his conveyancing thresholds demanded by corporate headquarters.